Tone modifier for musical instrument



March 22, 1960 1. BUSILACCHIO TONE MODIFIER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENT File'd March 13, 1956 R m N E v m I00 BUS/LACCH/O Unite' States Patent 2,929,291 TONE lliQ-DKFIER FOR MUSl'CAL INSTRUMENT ldo Busilacchio, Qsimo, Italy Application March 13, 1956, Serial N 0. 571,231 Claims priority, application Italy March 15, 1955 i5 Claims. (Cl. 84-376) This invention relates to accordions.

it is an object or" the invention to provide an improved accordion capable of producing controllable tones.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improvements which when incorporated into accordions readily improve the tonal qualities thereof.

it is a further object of the invention to provide improvements in accordions which avoid the producing of undesirable overtones therein.

A further object of the invention relates to improvements in accordions for making more immediate the issuance of sound waves in response to the pressing of the associated accordion keys.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means of tone control.

To achieve the above and other of its objectives the invention contemplates providing in accordance with one improvement thereof at least one reed block and set of cooperating valves along with means opposite to and spaced from the reed block and defining a closed sound chamber, this sound chamber having a wall opposite to the reed block and being movable for purposes of tone control.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which the sole figure diagrammatically illus trates the details of the improvements contemplated by the invention.

The accordion shown in part in the drawing cornprises a bellows section B, a reed section R, and a control section C.

Air issues from the bellows section B in the direction of arrow 11 and proceeds into the reed section P. which comprises, for example, reeds 12 and 14 which are vibrated by the air issuing from bellows portion B, when this air is permitted to escape by means of valve members such as members 16 and 18. These valve members are conventionally operated by means of keys 2i? pivoted in conventional manner on a pivot 22 and connected to members 16 and 18 by members 24.

At one end of the bellows portion B of the subject accordion is positioned a wall 26. Wall 26 and a grill 28, supported at its opposite extremities by supporting members 30 and 32, define a tone control zone in which is positioned a sound control or resonant chamber 34. Chamber 34 is confined by walls 36, 3d and 40, as well as by wall 26. Walls 26, 36 and 38 are fixed, but wall 40 is a pivotal wall which is connected in pivotal fash ion to wall 38 by means of a hinge 42. The movement of wall 40 in counter-clockwise direction with respect to hinge 42 is limited by an abutment 44. On the wall 46- is provided a fixture 46, to which is attached a cable 48. Cable 43 is connected to a lever 51) pivotally mounted on a fulcrum member 52, the pivoting of lever 59 being controlled manually by means of a key 54. Movement of the lever 50 is transmitted by the cable 48 and fixture 46 to wall 40, which may thus be pivoted in clockwise direction so as to open the chamber 34 in part.

The function of chamber 34 is to intercept sound waves issuing from the associated reeds and to modify the tone thereof and issue the sound waves through the grill 28 which is a conventionally perforated member. Air issuing from the reeds 12 and 14 generally by-passes the sound chamber 34 and issues through the grill 28 in a. manner which has little or no effect on the tone control.

The opening of wall 40 is intended to alter the resonant characteristics of the chamber 34. Thus, according to the degree of opening of Wall 40, sound chamber 34 modifies sound waves issuing from the associated reeds so as to produce a tone control not heretofore achieved.

it is to be noted that the reeds extend longitudinaliy in the direction of the sound or resonant chamber so that the sound waves are directly intercepted by said chamber. It is also to be noted that the reeds are ar ranged transversely of the direction of the air issuing from bellows portion B.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations of the structure set forth. These modifications and variations will not, however, depart from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An accordion comprising a reed block and cooperating valves, means opposite to and spaced from said reed block and valves defining a closed sound chamher and an air passage by-passing said sound chamber, said sound chamber having a wall opposite to and substantially parallel to said reed block and valves for intercepting sound waves issuing from the latter, at least a portion of said wall being movably mounted on said sound chamber to vary the resonance thereof for tone control.

2. An accordion as claimed in claim 1 comprising means pivotaily connecting said wall on said chamber.

3. An accordion as claimed in claim 1 comprising a control operatively associated with said wall to control the position of the same.

4. An accordion as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reeds extend longitudinally away from said sound chamber.

5. An accordion as claimed in claim 1 comprising a pivotal lever mounted on the accordion and a cable coupled said lever to said wall for controlling the position or" the wall.

6. An accordion as claimed in claim 1 comprising bellows operatively associated with the reeds, said reeds extending perpendicularly relative to said bellows.

7. An accordion as claimed in claim 1 comprising a grill covering said sound chamber.

8. An accordion comprising a block of aligned reeds extending in a same direction, a closed chamber adjacent said reeds but spaced therefrom in said direction, a wall in and constituting part of said chamber and facing said reeds, hinge means coupling said wall to said chamber, a lever, and a cable coupling said lever to said Wall, the sound chamber controlling the tone of sounds emanating from said reeds in accordance with the position of said wall as controlled by said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 894,436 Hohner July 28, 1908 1,777,823 Bernard Oct. 7, 1930 1,797,921 Nardone Mar. 24, 1931 1,961,152 Larson June 5, 1934 2,271,604 Pankowski Feb. 3, 1942 2,716,917 Troppe Sept. 6, 1955 2,722,152 Gobbi Nov. 1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 442,994 Italy Dec. 3, 1948 

